Recent News

AOAMI: Evolving Informatics

To better serve our members at this transformative time, when healthcare delivery is dependent on digital technology to measure quality
and to advocate for the osteopathic profession at all levels, your AOAMI Board has voted to reinstate annual dues of $100 for our
practicing DO members. The letter that follows from your AOAMI President provides detailed information on the history of the AOAMI
as well as projects underway and the NEED FOR ACTION NOW. Please contact us to become a member today!

Dear Informatics Colleagues,

We are reaching out to you in order to provide an update of the current status of the AOAMI and alert you to future developments.
AOAMI was established in 2003 to provide the osteopathic profession with a formal association of clinical leaders to assimilate
around health IT issues, contribute to transformative health objectives that depend on technology, and provide advocacy input at
local and national levels.

Our 12-year history in alignment with AOA policy and direction has provided a wealth of knowledge and many meaningful services
to our membership. Our members possess expertise in the discipline of "Clinical Informatics", and have contributed greatly to
the emerging discipline. These activities are extremely timely given the significant challenges of the US healthcare system and
CMS objectives to reimburse providers based on reporting "Quality" and outcomes for value-based rather than volume-based care.
Osteopathic physicians must be well-versed in informatics in order to support healthcare quality initiatives that are increasingly
dependent on expert technological solutions in the form of electronic medical records that support the clinical workflow and capture
the relevant clinical information necessary to support higher quality care.

The osteopathic profession is in a unique position to demonstrate how osteopathic principles and methodologies can provide a
culture of wellness, and foster a high quality model of care at a reasonable cost. Since value is defined by quality/cost, and
in order to measure quality outcomes and cost effectively, digital technology is critical. If we can demonstrate higher quality
and a lower cost, by leveraging our research objectives and the technologies to support these models, our profession can be a
national leader. The informatics expertise for such strategies lies in the AOAMI knowledge base today.

AOAMI must raise the bar to meet the ongoing needs of the profession. We need more educational opportunities, research, and
academic affiliates engaged in value-based models of care and the informatics resources to support the future. We have received
many inquiries regarding a pathway toward "Clinical Informatics" (CI) certification as well as the ACGME accredited fellowships.
As such, we are engaged in a formal process of understanding the core curriculum for CI, the potential for a sub-certification
under AOA, and in partnership with the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) to develop an "Advanced Interdisciplinary
Informatics Certification" (AIIC). We must continue to be the resource for the profession and advocate for our patients and providers
at the federal level, in order for our voices to be heard during this healthcare transformation. We are also engaged with other AOA
affiliates, and their partners, for education, advocacy, and true meaningful use of clinical data.

Since 2008, AOAMI has not charged dues and has relied on CME grants from the pharmaceutical industry and financial support from
the AOA/AOIA in order to operate. In order for our advocacy role to be sustained, we must become financially self-sufficient if
we are to continue to serve the profession at the level that is needed. This is particularly crucial given the dependency on
information technology as well as the future plans for measuring quality, outcomes, and cost of care.

Therefore, in order to support our staff and services operating budget, and to provide the necessary services to our members,
we have reinstated annual dues of $100.00 for our practicing DO members. We feel this is a reasonable contribution to the health
IT advocacy our profession needs in order to continue influencing healthcare changes occurring nationally. Moreover, we also urge
members to become active in AOAMI committees and work groups so that our work culminates in meaningful input to the dialog occurring
with Medicare and Medicaid quality reporting as well as other third party stakeholders. Tell us what interests you, email us at info@aoami.org.

The American Osteopathic Association of Medical Informatics (AOAMI) is a Proud Partner in National Health IT Week

This October 5-9, AOAMI—as a partner in the advancement of health information technology to help improve healthcare—is a Proud Partner in National Health IT Week. National Health IT Week is the premier event offering all healthcare stakeholders an opportunity to unite under one banner, expressing the benefits that health information technology (IT) brings to U.S. healthcare. "One Voice, One Vision."

Comprehensive health care reform is not possible without system-wide adoption of health information technology, which improves the quality of healthcare delivery, increases patient safety, decreases medical errors, and strengthens the interaction between patients and healthcare providers.

With Meaningful Use now providing the way forward, eligible providers across the country increasingly understand the benefits for themselves and their patients, and are adopting Meaningful Use compliant electronic health records.

Initiated in 2006 by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), National Health IT Week has emerged as a landmark occasion for using health IT as part of the overall solution to improve America's healthcare as a bipartisan, federally led, market driven initiative.

The Week consists of events in Washington DC and across the country, including National Health IT Weekparticipants—vendors, provider organizations, payers, pharmaceutical/biotech companies, government agencies, industry/professional associations, research foundations, and consumer protection groups—all working together to elevate national attention to the advantages of advancing health IT.

Visit www.HealthITWeek.org for a full list of partners and updates on the Week's activities. Working together with our growing coalition of stakeholders, AOAMI is helping to transform healthcare for all.

Website Blogging: An Affordable and Effective Way to Boost Google Rankings and Patient Traffic

When we mention the word "blog" to most medical practices, we see practice managers and physicians alike begin to cringe. Don't worry, blogging doesn't mean taking an hour out of your day to share life lessons. Instead, we're referring to writing short patient education articles and announcements on practice news and events. Sounds reasonable right? Below is a guide to blogging and why it's so important.

eHealth Resources Available on CMS Website

Last week CMS launched its eHealth initiative at the 13th annual HIMSS conference in New Orleans. To help providers and vendors learn more about the initiative, CMS developed new resources about eHealth and how it will improve health care delivery.
Visit the new CMS eHealth website to view the resources, including:

eHealth Fact Sheet – Explains the goal of eHealth, and how the initiative will affect the future of health care.